The effect of affirmative action on attributions about minority group members

In the first study subjects were given information about an applicant to graduate school and asked to rate his qualifications. The information experimentally varied (a) whether the school had an affirmative action policy, (b) the ethnicity of the applicant, and (c) whether the applicant was accepted or rejected. Based on Kelley's discussion of the discounting and augmentation principles, it was predicted that the minority applicant would be rated as less qualified when the university was committed to an affirmative action program. The reverse pattern was predicted for the non-minority applicant. The results supported the first prediction but not the second. Experiment 2 was designed to eliminate alternative interpretations of the data and the same results were found. Possible interpretations for the failure of affirmative action in affecting the ratings of nonminority applicants are discussed.     

Aggressive behavior in normal and deviant members of intact versus mother-only families

Single-parent families have been identified as using more coercion and aggression to elicit compliance than intact families. The present study compared 9 mother-only and 15 intact families from a referred clinical sample to 9 mother-only and 16 intact nonreferred normal families using a family behavioral observation code. Clinical families emitted higher rates of aggressive behavior than normals, and mother-only emitted higher rates than intact. However, mother-only normals had lower rates than intact clinical families. The intact versus mother-only factor appears to be less important in understanding aggression than do the specific interactional patterns of family members.Support for this research was provided in part by NIMH grant 1 RO3 MN31509 CD, through the Center for the Study of Crime and Delinquency, and by support from the Indiana State University Faculty Research Committee. This is part of a 10-year project conducted by the Oregon Social Learning Center examining aggressive child families, and primary data collection was performed through the Oregon Social Learning Center. Appreciation is expressed to Betty Brummet, Gayle Home, and Patricia Reinker for assistance in data collection, to Brian Bauske and Barry Van Dyck for assistance in computer analyses, and to the staff of the Oregon Social Learning Center for constructive assistance.     

A prospective naturalistic study of the impact of an intensive medical treatment on the social behavior of child and adolescent cancer patients

The impact of intensive chemotherapy and prolonged hospitalization on the social behavior of child and adolescent cancer patients was assessed. Twenty-three patients, aged 18 months to 21 years, were observed while they received chemotherapy in a protected environment or in a regular hospital room. Single-subject analyses were used to examine changes on six behaviors in relation to changes in physiological status. Fourteen patients showed significant change in the frequency of at least one behavior. Play and sleep were the behaviors most likely to change. The changes began to occur as patients experienced the systemic toxic effects of the drugs, although a dissipation of drug toxicity generally was not accompanied by a corresponding behavior change. The findings are discussed in relation to age-developmental and interindividual heterogeneity in response to treatment.     

The roles of self-esteem and n achievement in aspiring to prestigious vocations

This study investigated several hypotheses relevant to the vocational aspiration process as it is related to self-esteem and n Achievement. One hundred and forty-four male college students completed the Attitudes Toward Occupation Questionnaire, Form B of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and the Adjective Check List. To investigate the differential relationships of self-esteem and n Achievement with vocational aspirations, each hypothesis was tested by computing partial correlations, controlling first for n Achievement and then for self-esteem. The data indicated a positive relationship between self-esteem and the tendency to aspire to vocations with high prestige. This finding was interpreted as providing an extension of Super's self-implementation theory. Additionally, the data revealed (a) the existence of a negative relationship between self-esteem and the tendency to strive for vocations with less prestige than one's perceived vocational upper limit, and (b) contrary to prediction, a significant positive relationship between self-esteem and the tendency to settle for vocations which have less satisfaction associated with them than with one's perceived vocational upper limit.     

The perception of alternated speech

When speech is rapidly alternated between the two ears, intelligibility declines as rates approach 3–5 switching cycles/sec and then paradoxically returns to a good level beyond that point. The present study examines previous explanations of the phenomenon by comparing intelligibility of alternated speech with that for presentation of an interrupted message to a single ear. Results favor one of two possible explanations, and a theoretical model to account for the effect is proposed.